Her passion for acting emerged when she was just 14 years old, performing in a school play at Solebury, a boarding school. Her performance caught the eye of a producer, who invited her to work at a summer stock theater in New Angola, Pennsylvania.

The rigorous training laid the foundation for a career that would span over six decades. Her big break came when she appeared on “The Mary Tyler Moore Show.”

While she humbly referred to herself as a recurring character, audiences fondly remembered her as Marie Slaughter, the supportive and cheerful wife of Murray, played by Gavin MacLeod. Her bubbly persona and distinctive voice made her a fan favorite.

She shared fond memories of working on the show, describing Valerie Harper as particularly kind. “She came up to me and said, ‘If you need any help with your lines, I’d be happy to run them with you,'” “The Mary Tyler Moore Show” star revealed.

Despite the sunny disposition she brought to her roles, her personal life was fraught with challenges, as the actress endured four tumultuous marriages and a 30-day stay in rehab in 1999 for “co-dependency issues” before finding lasting happiness.

“It’s my big ego, I think,” the actress candidly said of her poor choices when it came to her love life. “Most alcoholics I find are very sensitive people until they have been drinking. […] But I believed, if they know that I love them, they won’t drink anymore. Not realizing and knowing it was a disease.”

The actress described her daily hope that things would improve, recounting how he would belittle her and their children. The emotional scars of his words, she admitted, were invisible but everlasting. Her second marriage to Edward Mallory, famed for his role on “Days of Our Lives,” offered little respite.

Her third marriage to William Asher, the director of “Bewitched,” lasted 17 years but was marked by struggles stemming from his health. Minor strokes and subsequent depression led him to rely heavily on medication and alcohol, which transformed his personality.

“He became angry and difficult. I had to say to him, ‘If you get help, I’ll be beside you forever. But if you don’t…I can’t do this anymore.’ And that was that. On our 17th wedding anniversary, I left,” the actress revealed.

The pair first crossed paths in 1962, but it wasn’t until decades later that they finally came together. The Hollywood star described their relationship as a miracle, noting that her children — whom she welcomed from her previous marriages — deeply respected him.

Their 18 years of marriage were filled with love and mutual admiration, a sharp contrast to her earlier experiences. “We were like ships passing in the night. A friend of ours called us star-crossed lovers,” the actress shared.

Perry’s passing in 2018 was a profound loss, but she took solace in the spiritual connection she still felt with him. The actress spoke of sensing his presence, cherishing the memories they created together.

Now a devoted mother, she takes immense pride in her kids’ achievements and relishes her role as a grandmother. “Oh, I love it. You really get to do the spoiling and sometimes have time to explain why their parents treat them the way they do. It’s all my fault!” she said with a laugh.

When she was already in her 40s, she learned through her son’s school principal that she had dyslexia, a condition that explained her lifelong struggles with reading and math.

“I went for many years thinking I was stupid. I just didn’t get things that other people got,” she revealed. This late realization was a turning point. Acting, which had always been her refuge, became a tool to navigate her dyslexia.

She found that adding emotion and action to words made them comprehensible, transforming her approach to learning.

Reflecting on her own experiences, the actress emphasized the importance of understanding and addressing the condition early to prevent the feelings of inadequacy she had endured.

In recent years, her life story, filled with triumphs and tribulations, became the subject of her memoir, “My Four Hollywood Husbands.” In the book, she offered a candid account of her marriages, career, and personal growth.

“She looks great!!” another person wrote. A third shared, “Still looking good. Beautiful eyes” and a fourth typed, “I have had a crush on Joyce for at least 50 years!” A fifth person added, “Aww. Pretty lady.” Continue reading to see the actress’s transformation over the years.

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